1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and apparatuses for correcting scattering in SPECT imaging. More particularly, various embodiments of the present invention correct scattering in SPECT I-123 images by utilizing an iterative algorithm and a Compton window.
2. Description of the Related Art
Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging is a popular nuclear medicine imaging technique operable to generate three-dimensional information through the detection of gamma rays. SPECT imaging is often utilized to perform Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) to facilitate in the detection of cardiovascular defects. Various radioisotopes are typically employed with SPECT imaging, including Technetium-99m (Tc-99m) and Thalium-201 (Tl-201).
Iodine-123 (I-123) is being widely investigated for various cardiac molecular imaging applications as an alternative to Tc-99m and Tl-201. However, the low-energy high resolution (LEHR) collimators typically employed by cardiac laboratories are unable to stop high-energy (e.g., 529 keV) I-123 emissions, thereby resulting in photopeak scattering and the degradation of spatial uniformity. As such, the usage of I-123 in SPECT imaging is often significantly limited by photopeak scattering.